Objective: To investigate the effects of small non-peptidic CD4 inhibitor J2 on the prevention of allograft rejection in mouse corneal transplantation.
Methods: Twenty-three C57BL/6 mice (donor) and 76 BALB/c mice (recipients) were used to establish corneal allograft model, and were divided into 4 groups randomly. Group A, autograft control; Group B, allograft control (placebo was given in both control groups); Group C and Group D, allograft groups, were treated with orally ciclosporin A and J2, respectively. Drugs were delivered for 12 days beginning on the day of transplantation. Graft survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. On day 21 after transplantation, flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and histological examination of graft were performed.
Results: No graft rejection was observed in Group A. The average transplant survival time of Group B was (17.8 +/- 2.1) d. In Group D, the transplant survival time showed a statistically prolongation to (40.6 +/- 8.3) d (P = 0.00) as compared with Group B, but the survival time was less than that of Group A (P = 0.04). There was no statistically significant difference between Group D and Group C (38.1 +/- 9.9) d (P = 0.99). The results of flow cytometry analysis showed that CD4(+) cells and CD8(+) cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not increase in Group D. Fewer inflammatory cells were found in the corneal allograft in Group D.
Conclusion: J2 could inhibit rejection and prolong corneal allograft survival time in mouse.